The Shadow of Equestria
by Bl00dyroses
Summary: Shadow Spirit is your average orphan thief living in the lowest class of Canterlot. Except that she's an alicorn. When she is suddenly removed from her home and made into a princess by Celestia, she no doubt wonders why. Now she plans on discovering all the secrets surrounding her origins, despite what the princesses want.
1. Prologue

The great city of Canterlot. A beautiful, thrilling place for those who could afford it, but a tough environment for those who could not. You may think that this city, with all it's festivities and holidays, would be one of complete smiles and happiness, wouldn't you dear reader? But you're wrong. It has its issues like any other large city.

There are three rings of class that made up the city. Ponies could travel between rings of course, there are no physical boundaries stopping them. But they would always have to return to that ring which they belong. It's just the way things work in Cantelot.

The outer ring, which one would walk into the moment they stepped through the gates, consists of the lower class. These ponies usually have little or no money for even themselves, let alone to spare. Shops in that ring usually have few items to sell, though no item found within them would be of great value.

The second ring, that of the middle class, contains ordinary shops with ordinary ponies to run them. They aren't poor, but they aren't exactly rich either. The second ring is where the majority of visitors tend to stay, and not just because that's where the train station is.

The third ring, is the upper class world. There, everypony is rich, items are of high quality and high price, and the homes are large and glamorous. It is a rare sight to see one of the third ring ponies away from their section. And the only time a first ring pony would even think about stepping into that world would be for thieving.

But in the center of it all lies the richest building in the city Canterlot Castle, where the royal family rules over its people from above. The only way to enter it is through either royal business, or by being escorted by guards. It is surrounded by a strong magic barrier, from the depths of the dungeons, to the highest towers. This barrier prevents any creature from entering or leaving without permission.

In one of these towers resides our heroine, trapped against her own will, using all her wits in order to escape her prison.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

_My Faithful Subjects!_

Shadow Spirit had given up trying to break through the magic barrier that Princess Celestia had created. Wearing out her magic after only three hours, she turned to using brute force to break down the door. However, the door was magicked as well, and her efforts were in vain. Now she simply leaned against the door, exhaustedly thumping it with her head every few seconds. But she grew too weary even to do that, and stopped.

_Today is a Joyous Day Indeed!_

Silently turning her head to look about the room she was given, she grimaced. In her anger and disgust over what they did to her, she had trashed the once beautiful guest room. Her bed lay in shambles,The fluffy pillows ripped apart, the polished wooden posts completely destroyed until they were no more than splinters. The thick velvet curtains once hanging from the tall ceiling now lay in shreds across the marble floor, which had a few cracks in it from her tantrum. Any furniture that had not been destroyed was scattered about the room on its side. And the dress. Oh that beautiful white dress she was given was no more, only traces of it left. She preferred her ratty old cloak anyway.

_For One of Our Kin Has Returned to Us!_

After her tantrum, she had cried until she slept amongst the trash. All the emotions just flowed out of her body without her consent. She couldn't help it. She missed her family. They had never been without her, they needed her too much. And she need them. The night passed, and with the morning sun came her strength, which she had used up trying to escape.

_It Has Been a Great Many Years,_

Standing slowly, she shuffled away from the door and to one of the floor-length windows, her long cloak trailing behind her. She scoffed at the view. Below her she could make out rich and snooty ponies strolling about below her. She turned her gaze to the far Northern edge of the city, and her ruby eyes softened. That was where her family resided. She hoped they were okay without her. She knew the food stash was running a bit low, but she had never liked the idea of one of her little thieves going out without her watchful eye.

_And There May be Few Who Remember Her Name._

Shadow Spirit's thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. She inhaled sharply, and braced herself as the door opened.

_But Let Her In,_

Two guards made their way into the room, clearly trying not to notice the damage. Behind them came the two Royal Princesses themselves. Princess Celestia's face was calm, but Princess Luna snorted at the room. It had previously been made clear that the younger sister did not approve of Shadow Spirit's presence in the castle.

_Open Your Hearts,_

"You really made yourself at home here, didn't you?" The princess mocked, but was hushed by her sister. "Luna, why don't you wait outside with the guards. I want to speak with her alone." Princess Celestia emphasized the last word, and Princess Luna sulked, yet she left the room anyway. The guards followed, and Princess Celestia closed the door gently behind them. Shadow Spirit said nothing.

_And Show Her Your Kindness._

"Please forgive my sister's rude behaviour. These last few days have been… stressful for her. Shadow Spirit snorted, but made no reply. The princess sighed and took in the room's damage. Shadow Spirit prepared for a scolding, but was only met with a chuckle. She looked sharply at the princess. Princess Celsetia was… smiling? "Not bad, you clearly have much strength, especially to be able to tear apart that bed. But it's nothing like the damage I have caused to my rooms before, if I do say so myself." Shadow Spirit blinked in surprise. She couldn't imagine the princess upset and throwing a tantrum like a small filly.

_Welcome Her Like You Would a Friend._

There was a flash of light, and she had to close her eyes. When she opened them again, the room was back to it's original state, fresh and clean like before. Fresh flowers had even appeared in the vase. "That's better, don't you think?" The princess smiled warmly at Shadow Spirit, and she had to look away. She was ashamed of herself for acting the way she did. However, she refused to apologize or even speak to these mares.

_But it May Be Hard For Her,_

Shadow Spirit walked to the bed. She climbed on it and settled atop the covers, her back to the princess, who sighed. She wanted to be left alone, and tried to make it apparent. But soon there was a sudden shift in the mattress as more weight was added to it. Instead of leaving, Princess Celestia had climbed on next to Shadow Spirit, and wrapped a wing around the young mare. Shadow Spirit was almost tempted to lean into the body, it had been so long since she had been held like that. Maybe she was wrong about the princesses. Maybe they weren't as bad as she thought.

_For She Has Been Alone So Long,_

"I'm so sorry, Shadow Spirit," the princess whispered. "We took you from your home, and keep you locked in this room. But please understand. You are a princess now. We're doing this for your own good."

_Away From Home._

Any thoughts Shadow Spirit had about the princess being kind vanished as quickly as they came. And it was then that she found her voice.

_But Now She Has Returned._

"For my own good? You think that this is for my own good?!" She shrugged off the princess's wing and stumbled away from her. "I don't belong here. I shouldn't be anywhere near here!" Her voice raised its volume as she thrust a hoof out, pointing towards her home. "Those streets are where I belong! I have a family to take care of out there, yet you keep me locked away from them! You think that I should be here, with you stuck up, insensitive royal fools, just because I can use magic, yet I have these?!" She yanked off her cloak, and spread her large grey wings. She felt exposed with them out though, and tucked them away again.

_So without further ado, _

Taking a deep breath, she sighed. "You have no right to keep me here, no right to pretend I am your kin." Her voice was softer, calmer, but there was a sharp edge to it. She glared at the other princess, who said nothing. She merely sighed and stood from the bed, walking toward the door. Softly, she replied, "I know you miss your family, more than you think. They need you. But we need you here too. You will learn in time." She left the room, and locked the door behind her.

_Please welcome, Princess Shadow Spirit!_

Shadow Spirit threw herself on the bed, and cried once more.


	2. Chapter 1: A New Princess

Shadow Spirit raced through the alleyways, four unicorn guards hot on her tail. Her brown cloak billowed out behind her, flapping in the wind from her speed. The saddlebags strapped tightly to her back thumped against her sides, the food they contained bouncing around inside. Yup, today was just another market day in Canterlot.

Market day for most ponies meant browsing through stalls in the cheery sunlight, buying food and clothing, and perhaps finding a valuable trinket or two. For Shadow Spirit and her family though, it meant sneaking around in the shadows, putting on award-worthy performances (distractions), and hopefully not getting caught stealing what they needed. In this last aspect, Shadow Spirit had failed.

She mentally cursed herself for not watching the surrounding ponies closely enough, as she turned another corner, dodging a few crates. One of the unicorns had pushed ahead of the others, and was about ready to grab her tail. Thinking quickly, she spotted a cart of apples someone had conveniently left unattended. Horn glowing red, she used her magic to knock over the cart right as she passed. The guard ran into the cart, and slipped on a few of the round fruits, falling flat on his stomach. However, there were three guards left, and they still pursued her.

Scanning for her next trick to perform, Shadow Spirit rounded another corner, the territory becoming familiar again. There were several boxes stacked neatly next to an old bookshop. She ran to them, hopping expertly from one box to the next until she reached the top. Looking down, she stuck her tongue out at the guards, who were having trouble navigating up the small tower in their heavy armor.

"Well, this was fun boys, but our lovely stroll ends here," she taunted at them, before leaping from the boxes to an awning hanging over the window of the shop. She bounced off the awning and shot into the air towards the roof. She didn't bounce quite high enough though, just a few inches short of the roof's ledge. Reluctantly, she opened her wings the slightest fraction that she could, and flapped the rest of the way. She only hoped the guards didn't see. News of an Alicorn in Canterlot would no doubt bring trouble to her family.

Standing triumphantly over the unicorns below her, she winked and ran off along the roof, knowing they wouldn't be able to catch up to her now. However she was unaware that there was somepony who had watched the whole ordeal, and seen everything.

A few hops, skips, and jumps across rooftops, and soon Shadow Spirit found herself at the Western border of the city. Feeling safer than before, she left the rooftops and settled along the stony streets. By now it was late in the evening, the sun starting to set in the sky. Ponies were settling in their homes, preparing for dinner if they had any. A few nodded wearily towards her, she would nod in reply. The wall that surrounded the city came into sight, and Shadow Spirit walked alongside it, heading North. The farther she went, the fewer citizens she came across, until it she was entirely alone in the streets.

Along with the amount of ponies about, the buildings changed as well. They grew shabbier, emptier. This section was where the poorest of the poor lived. Many of the houses were no longer made of stone, but of wood, showing just how truly old they were compared to the rest of the city.

It was in one of these such buildings that Shadow Spirit stopped in front of. The wooden edifice was tall, and rather large, but it was completely in shambles. Once, it served as a theater, grand as any at that time. Now it merely sat here, dying and forgotten. Any traces of glass windows were gone, only empty holes remained. The wood was rotting and ready to give away at any moment. Inside, any remaining furniture was bare or moth eaten. The entire building seemed to sag, like it was begging for someone to cause it's collapse. Nevertheless, this was the one Shadow Spirit entered.

She warily stepped through the house, trying not to make a sound. The theater groaned around her, in the way that all old buildings do. She navigated her way past the grand stage, towards the back rooms, where performers would prepare themselves for performances. Now however, the rooms served a different purpose. She opened the door to the largest room slowly.

And suddenly she found herself ambushed, unable to protect herself.

"Shady! Attack!" Came the cry of her little attackers. Shadow Spirit collapsed in the doorway. "Oh no! The warriors have attacked me! I am completely unable to protect myself!" She cried, dramatically raising a hoof to her forehead. The ten "warriors" jumped up and down, throwing themselves at her repeatedly, until they were interrupted by a loud cough.

"Ahem, if you are done, I'd like to actually eat." The voice belonged to a light pink Pegasus, who was currently sitting in the corner of the room. She had an annoyed look on her face as Shadow Spirit stood, untangling a few of the children from her hooves. "Hello to you too Dusty," she replied, dropping her cloak by the door. She untied her saddlebags and tossed them over to the smaller mare. "I got the bread, and carrots, but only about half the hay we wanted."

The mare grunted, but smiled. "Whatever, thanks for getting it anyway, Shady." She took the bags and made her way to the old kitchen to prepare dinner.

Shady stretched out her legs and wings before sitting on the floor by a young green unicorn. He smiled up at her, green eyes shining. "Did you bring us more food?" He asked. She chuckled. "Yes I did." She replied. "Did you have an adventure?" His twin brother asked eagerly. The rest of the children followed suit with eyes pleading for a story. She grinned mischievously and stood. "Of course, what kind of market day would it be without an adventure?" Some of the older colts and fillies gathered around the younger ones. They knew her stories were stretched a bit for entertainment, but they enjoyed them nonetheless.

"... They had me cornered, guards on every side of me. The wall at my back stretched higher than you would believe! I could feel my magic running low, there was only one thing left to do..." Shady told her captivated audience. Of course, she was stretching the truth some, but the little ones would only be satisfied with a grand performance, nothing less. "I flipped back my cloak, spread my wings, and flew!" A tiny pegasus filly squealed and clapped in delight. "The guards were so speechless, they couldn't even move! I flew all the way across the city, fast as a bullet. When I landed, I disappeared into the shadows. They wouldn't have seen me even if I was right in front of them. The End."

The group clapped and cheered while Shady took a bow. Before long, Dusty returned, skillfully balancing a very large tray full of food on her back, her wings spread out for balance. "Dinner is served, eat up!" She called as the children excitedly ran towards the food. But before they devoured everything, Shady stopped them. "What do we say to Dusty, children?" She asked sternly. The children bowed their heads. "Thank you for the meal Dusty!" They cried, and immediately went to eating.

Dusty smiled and slid a plate of food over to Shady. "Nice story. Is that why you were so late today?" She asked. Shady nodded as she took a small bite out of her dinner. "There was somepony who wasn't watching the distraction quite as close as I thought. She saw me grab the bread, and called me out on it. Let me tell you, those guards are getting faster all the time." Dusty nodded in agreement.

"Well at least you got away. I was having a hard time keeping the kids busy. They get antsy without you, you know." She huffed, blowing a few strands of shaggy white hair out of her face.

Suddenly a lanky brown stallion came up to them, sitting down with his food. He flashed a grin. "Well ladies, you'll be pleased to know that I found our next job," he said. "Already? You're getting faster at this, Crimson Streak." Dusty snorted. Crimson Streak, named for the red stripe in his mane, flashed her a grin. "Just you wait. This will be our biggest job yet. If we succeed, we could go without stealing for another six months!" He exclaimed. A few of the younger colts and fillies looked up curiously.

Shooting a stern look towards Crimson Streak, Shady nudged the two out of the room and into the hallway. Once the three friends were out of hearing from the others, Shady sighed. "How big of a job are we talking about?" She asked. Crimson Streak frowned. "Very big. We're talking the royal family here." Dusty screeched at him. "You mean WHAT?!" She yelled. He waved a hoof in her face. "Not the royal-royal family, just a cousin or somepony less important. I'm telling you, if we pull this off, we'll be set!" He stomped a hoof down for emphasis, which ended up putting another hole in the wooden floor."And maybe we can afford some repairs..." He added, looking around the room at various other holes.

The two mares were silent for a moment. Then Shady spoke up, determination in her voice. "I'm in." Dusty turned to her, eyes wide. "You have got to be joking! Shady, if we get caught, we'll be grown in prison!" She exclaimed. "But if we pull this off, we could make our lives better than before! Look at this place, it's ready to collapse as we speak!" She replied. "Dusty, I know you want us to be careful on these jobs, but we have to take risks sometimes. Think of the-" "I do think of them!" Dusty snapped. "If we get caught and taken away, who will look after them? No one. We three are the only ones capable of caring for all of them. If we're gone, they'll be separated and thrown back into orphanages. And that's IF they survive long enough."

There was a long pause. Then Crimson Streak spoke up. "I think if all three of us go, we can make it. The kids will be fine by themselves for a few hours. The older colts can handle it." Another pause. Then finally Dusty sighed. "Oh hell, there's no stopping you two. Fine. I'm in." The others smiled. "Besides, what could happen if all of us go? We, the best thieves in Canterlot!" Shady proclaimed proudly.

"Shit shit shit shit shit!" Shady muttered under her breath while running alongside Dusty and Crimson Streak. Once again she was being chased by guards, cloak flapping behind her. Three days and nights of planning, and they didn't even stop to consider the fact that somepony might get up for a glass of water in the night. They made it past security guards, cameras, even guard dogs. Only to be caught by a young mare making her way through the halls. Once she saw the three thieves sneaking through the halls, she instantly started screaming. And boy was she loud. Guards came running immediately.

Tearing through the halls trying to find a suitable exit, more guards suddenly appeared. Shady realized soon enough that there wasn't any way to were on the third story of the building, which meant they couldn't just all jump out of a window. Dusty had injured a wing upon entering the building, and Crimson Streak could only teleport by himself, even then only small distances. Shady herself could feel her magic running low from using it to break in. Taking a deep breath, she stopped running and turned to face the guards head-on. The others skidded to a halt.

"Shady what are you doing?!" Dusty cried. Instead of replying, Shady used her magic to pick up a small potted plant, and smash a large window with it. Crimson Streak realized what was about to happen and looked at Shady grimly. "Dusty, we need to go, now." He said softly, tugging her towards the window. She resisted. "But... Shady!" Shady looked back and smiled. "You can't fly well with that injured wing, Dusty, and Crimson Streak can teleport only short distances. There's no way we could all escape. I'll distract the majority of the guards for as long as I can." By now Dusty had stopped resisting, and was being dragged closer to the window. "Take good care of our little ones for me. I'll make sure you get home to them safely."

Sniffling, Dusty nodded and spread her wings. Crimson Streak said nothing, but simply teleported away. "Hey... I expect you home in time for breakfast, you hear?" Dusty smiled grimly. "Always." Shady replied as her friend clumsily flew away into the night.

The guards finally caught up "Well, let's dance, you creepy identical freaks." Shady smirked, her horn glowing with red magic.

"Your highness, we apologize for disturbing you, but we bring you a thief."

Shady lost the magic battle quickly after it started. She only hoped that it was long enough to allow her friends to escape. Once she was drained completely, the guards surrounded her, locking her in magic hoofcuffs. They led her out and away from the elaborate manor, and to the castle, which was a short distance away. She couldn't help but stare at the high walls and polished floors. But once she was finally brought to the great throne room, she kept a calm and blank expression.

Before her sat Princess Luna, who ruled throughout the night while her sister slept. Her starry mane flowed gently with magic, and she raised an eyebrow as Shady was brought forth. Shady was unsure of what to expect from the younger of the sisters, as she had fully returned to her duties only a few years ago. Even then, not as many were brought before her for judgement as they were Princess Celestia.

The princess studied Shady for a long while before speaking. "Tell me young unicorn, what is your name, and why do you wish to steal from my family?" Her voice was smooth, and resonated throughout the room. Shady shrugged away from the guards and stepped forward towards the princess.

"My name is Shadow Spirit. I don't wish your family any harm, I only want to provide for my own." She stated. Princess Luna frowned and murmured something under her breath before turning back to Shady. "I understand that you need to take care of your family, but thieving is a serious crime. Therefore you shall be imprisoned until further notice. You-" "Please, your highness, there are several children that I must care for, they-" "THAT IS ENOUGH" The royal princess boomed angrily.

Startled, Shady reared, and the guards moved forward to grab her. One of them pulled at her cloak, and she struggled. Hoping to pull her down, the guard yanked as hard as he could on the cloak. But instead, the cloak tore in two, it's ancient threads finally giving out. Shady gasped and landed on all fours. Her wings were now exposed, revealing her true race.

The princess stood immediately. The guards, unsure of what to do, stepped back in shock. Shady took this moment of surprise and bolted. She heard the princess shout after her, but she kept running towards the door. She was a bit clumsy due to the hoofcuffs, but she got the hang of them and quickly gained speed. She was almost there when _crash_! She ran smack into another pony. The two fell back and rolled a bit. Looking to see who ruined her escape, she came eye to eye with none other than princess Celestia herself. The older princess frowned, and began using her magic.

Shady found that she could no longer move her limbs, and her eyelids were drooping. She tried to fight it, but failed, and quickly succumbed to the forced sleep.

When Shady regained consciousness, she found she couldn't move her body at all. Her eyes were open and she was standing tall, yet she couldn't will her limbs to move. She wanted to scream, but her mouth wouldn't open, she couldn't even move her facial muscles to scowl. So instead she took in her surroundings.

She appeared to be on a high balcony, standing before all of Canterlot. The sun was high in the sky meaning it must have been around noon. On each side of her stood the princesses. Princess Celestia was giving a speech of some sort, while princess Luna stared ahead silently. Both princesses were wearing elaborate garments that complimented their mane colors. Shady herself was wearing a soft white dress, which covered her long tail and flowed out behind her. Two holes had been designed into it for her wings, which were pressed to her sides as usual. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever worn, yet she hated it. Her black curly hair had been pinned up elaborately, and silver shoes had been placed on her hooves.

The crowd below her listened intently to princess Celestia's speech, many with shocked looks directed towards Shady. She assumed she was to be given a public execution, and everyone was just appalled at the idea of somepony trying to rob the royal family. An _alicorn_ no less. That is, until she finally began listening to the princess's words.

"So without further ado, please welcome Princess Shadow Spirit!" the princess had announced with a smile, and the crowd began cheering. The princesses turned and walked back through the balcony doors, and Shady felt her body follow suit. She couldn't properly react to the announcement, nor fly away like she wished. All she could do was think.

Once the doors were shut behind them, princess Luna turned to her sister. "Sister are you sure of this?"Princess Celestia only nodded before leading the two down a hallway, then up a narrow flight of stairs. "Yes Luna, as I said before, this is for the best." Shady had no choice but to follow the two, still confused as to what just happened. At the top of the stairs, the older princess opened the door, and Shady felt herself walk inside. All at once, she collapsed to the floor, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted. Shaking her head, she found she could move again. Turning to the door, she saw that it had been shut and locked already.

Glancing back at the room, she ignored everything else and instead walked to the bed. On it sat her neatly folded cloak, repaired as though it had never been torn. She nuzzled the fabric gently, reminded of her home. Sitting down on the bed, she sighed before glaring out the large window angrily. "Don't worry, I will come home."


End file.
